Compare towns
Gray vs Poland vs Topsham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Poland has the most people working from home (21.9%).
Topsham has the shortest commute (24 min average).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Gray | Poland | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,429 |
5,954Lowest |
9,706Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+8.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
44.2±9.4 about the ME average |
44.7±4Highest about the ME average |
| Topsham and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Poland and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
17.8%±4.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Topsham and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$85,557±$23kLowest 14% above ME |
$91,028±$10k 22% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$283,600±$44kLowest 4% below ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,198±$128Lowest 5% above ME |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
| Gray and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,683 21% above ME |
$2,774Lowest 9% below ME |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Poland and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.9% ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
24 minLowest 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Poland and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 133 in ME | #81 of 133 in ME | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 16 | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Poland Regional H S | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
12.2Lowest |
12.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.